(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on January 29.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up sharply during the week ended January 24 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 196,764 trailers or containers, up 8.0 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 5.9 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 14.6 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 330,305 cars, up 7.9 percent from last year with volume up 8.6 percent in the West and 7.0 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 29.6 billion ton-miles, up 9.2 percent from last year.
Among the 14 carload commodity groups showing increases compared with last year were farm products other than grain, up 57.9 percent; grain, up 11.9 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 29.6 percent; and coal, up 9.5 percent. Five commodities were down from last year, with metallic ores off 7.3 percent and primary forest products down 6.8 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first three weeks of 2004: 987,153 carloads, up 3.1 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 584,938 trailers or containers, up 5.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 88.0 billion ton-miles, up 4.4 percent from last year?s first three weeks.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 88 percent of U.S. carload freight and 95 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 95 percent and 100 percent. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of the nation?s intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.
Canadian railroads reported an increase in carload freight but a decline in intermodal volume during the week ended January 24. Carload volume totaled 65,479 cars, up 9.4 percent, with agricultural products registering a 35.8 percent gain. Intermodal traffic totaled 39,306 trailers or containers, down 2.0 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first three weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 192,946 carloads, up 5.8 percent from last year, and 118,510 trailers and containers, down 0.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first three weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 1,180,099 carloads, up 3.6 percent from last year and 703,448 trailers and containers, up 4.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended January 24 totaled 7,828 cars, down 10.9 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,129 originated trailers or containers, down 18.3 percent from the third week of 2004. For the first three weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 23,953 cars, down 10.0 percent from last year, and 8,695 trailers or containers, down 21.1 percent.